While it does not feel like Spring has sprung in Rhode Island these days, that did not stop our brewers from brewing up some Belgian Ales (BJCP Category 16) for the Spring Competition. Belgians are an acquired taste for some, but can be loved by all. This competition opened a new door for RIBS as the group followed the BJCP guidelines for judging. It started out a bit rocky, but soon enough everyone fell into a groove and all 10 submissions were judged. Members were grouped into fours to debate flavor, appearance and style in accordance to BJCP guidelines. Each group scored the beers and scores were averaged into a final score. By the end of the night, members who had never scored were pros at understanding the complexities of the beer they were tasting, and how to judge on style rather than personal preference. All in all, it was a great learning experience for everyone! In the end, Nate took 1st place with his Witbeir (16A), Jim took 2nd place for his Belgian Specialty Ale -Saison (16E) and Chris Moran, with his Belgian Pale Ale (16B) and Mike D with his Belgian Specialty Ale – Strong Saison (16E) left with a Honorable Mention.
We thank everyone for attending and participating and encourage everyone to check out pictures from the event. We also want to send a big congrats to Jim on taking home 2nd place in the South Shore Brew-off with his Chai Saison. And as always, if you are interested in joining RIBS shoot us an e-mail!
